Spike Lee's 'Do the Right Thing' temporarily free to rent
Filmmaker Spike Lee. (File/FOX 5 NY)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - "Do the Right Thing" is free to rent on several platforms all week and an online discussion will be held with director Spike Lee on his 1989 film about racism, protests, police brutality and a New York neighborhood in turmoil.
Universal Pictures is offering the film for free from Monday through Sunday on Amazon, Apple, Charter, Comcast, Google, Redbox, Vudu and several other platforms.
The American Film Institute will host the discussion with Lee Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT on its YouTube channel.
The announcement does not directly mention recent worldwide protests brought on by the death of George Floyd, but AFI President Bob Gazzale said in a statement that the film "is a timeless and timely classic" and that Lee "has forever proven himself the voice for change that we need now more than ever."
"Do the Right Thing," which stars Lee, Giancarlo Esposito, Ossie Davis and Danny Aiello, was nominated for two Academy Awards and is on the AFI's list of 100 greatest films of all time.
Other films about racial injustice including 2014's "Selma" and 2018's "The Hate U Give" are getting similar treatment amid the protests.